Purina’s Beneful Ignores Consumer Complaints

Dog owners nationwide are calling for a recall of Nestlé Purina’s Beneful line of dog foods, claiming the food has directly resulted in the illness and/or death of hundreds of beloved pets.

Aside from being nutritionally unsound, packed with corn-based fillers and by-products proven to be unhealthy and unnecessary in a dog’s diet, consumers are reporting a wide range of illnesses ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to bacterial infections, liver and kidney failure, and even death after eating the popular kibble.

Instead of addressing the concerns and questions from hundreds of confused, concerned, and often angry consumers through their Beneful Facebook page, the dog food giant has instead beefed up their social media moderation, deleting comments, banning consumers that post complaints or photos of their beloved pets, and posting canned responses claiming the quality and integrity of their products and urging pet parents to feed their pets Beneful with complete confidence.

Nestlé Purina spokesperson Keith Schopp told MSN News that the online postings “contain false and misleading allegations and cause undue concern and confusion among consumers.” He continued, “There are no known product issues with Beneful dog food. Consumers can continue to feed Beneful to their pets with total confidence.”

In response to Facebook comments and posts, moderators are replying with canned responses echoing those of Schopp above.

One devastated pet owner named Jodi wrote to Beneful, “My dog has ate beneful for his whole life of four years and recently diagnosed with chronic kidney failer and I have researched and discovered beneful uses substances found in anti freeze that slowly causes kidney and liver failer due to the toxins I would like to thank you for killing my lil puppy that I loved at the young age of four :(”

Beneful responded, “We’re sorry to learn of your loss, Jodi. We’d like to know more about your situation. Please give our team a call Monday at 800-877-7551. We look forward to speaking with you. Thank you.”

Since Jodi’s post, hundreds more have made similar claims to Beneful, demanding answers, looking for the manufacturer to take some responsibility and investigate the claims made against them. For every one of hundreds of similar consumer comments, Beneful’s response has been the same. A simple copied & pasted canned response that only seems to fuel the fire.

Sound familiar?

For the past 5 years, Nestle Purina was under the same consumer scrutiny for their Canyon Creek Ranch and Waggin’ Train chicken jerky treats imported from China. Until the recall of these products in January, Purina’s customer service team provided consumers with nearly identical responses to those they’re giving Beneful customers now.

Despite continued consumer complaints and Purina’s insisting that their chicken jerky products were safe, the treats were found to contain traces of illegal antibiotic drug residue and were eventually pulled from store shelves.

Will Purina’s Beneful line of products face the same fate?

The Dogington Post reached out the the Food & Drug Administration, with concerns about what appears to be a lack of action or interest in the complaints against Beneful. The FDA admitted that they have received “some” complaints about Beneful and are “looking into the situation.” The FDA is also urging consumers to report any problems associated with the popular dog food by visiting the FDA’s online Safety Reporting Portal. To submit a complaint, click here.

Additionally, If you believe that your dog has been affected by Purina’s Beneful brand dog food – in either a negative or positive way, please join the Facebook group, “Is Beneful Killing or Sickening Dogs” by clicking here. Since the group was created a few months ago, over 1,000 members are already sharing stories, collecting data and veterinary reports, and drawing media attention to their cause. As Beneful continues to ignore consumer questions and concerns, the group continues to grow.

A member of the group told us, “We are mostly refugees from the Purina Beneful Facebook site, banned because we started asking questions. Is it a problem with Aflatoxins from moldy corn? Is it a problem with Organosphosphates? Could this be linked to Monsanto’s GMO grain which is sprayed with Round-up, an Organophosphate? Is it a problem with Pentobarbitol poisoning? Pentobarbitol is found when euthanized animals are used in rendering… a huge problem in Spanish pet food right now. Is it due to the low nutritional quality? The use of synthetic and controversial Vitamin K as menadione? Or maybe there is more than one factor at work here?”

It’s clear that we can’t always rely on the integrity of manufacturers, or on the timeliness of an FDA investigation to keep our furry family out of harm’s way. Find a dog food manufacturer that puts the health and safety of your pets at the forefront of their company mission, provides complete transparency in regards to sourcing, handling, and processing of their foods, and uses species-appropriate ingredients, not cheap fillers, by-products, and chemicals.

When I adopted my shepherd mix, Molly, from a local shelter 12 years ago, I had no idea the impact she would have on my life. Through Molly, I've learned to be more patient, experienced unconditional love, been alerted to the mailman and every squirrel within a block radius of the house, and ingested enough fur to build 3 or 4 more dogs! When I lost Molly to cancer just a few months ago, I adopted Olive, a 13 week old Golden Retriever. Together, we smile at least a hundred times a day!

87 COMMENTS

and the “premium” foods are held to no higher standards than the rest. They just hire people who know how to use all the right words “locally sourced”(how does a northern country “locally source fruits and vegetables?), “locally raised meat”(yeah, locally raised, but processed in the next country), “passed USDA certification before it enters our kitchen”(but, how long before-could be before slaughter!) and are well-trained in avoiding giving answers to questions.
Not saying Beneful is good or bad…but there is no perfect food, and the others are not as supreme as they say.

Do you really believe a company as large as Purina/Nestlé is either not going to have the resources and desire to test everything possible….”

They are in the WASTE business — maximising profits on what would otherwise be over-flowing in the landfills not vast enough to hold it. Merely glancing at the ingredient panels will PROVE this.
Everybody laughs all the way to the bank — expect for sucker pet owners who believe all the deceitful advertising and gimmicks.

Oh yeah, they (and Hill’s) literally OWN the Veterinary “community” (as they are so fondly referred as) as well. Google “Pets Ring Dings” and the first hits will be for a Harvard Law Paper, explaining it all in detail. Not to mention, all the advertising $$$$$ pumped into the mainstream mediot rackets by Nestle (and the other junk conglomerates).

my co-worker’s step-mother makes $80 every hour on the computer. She has been fired for 5 months but last month her payment was $14571 just working on the computer for a few hours. browse around this website… http://x.co/2USJx

Our dogs started getting sick and after some Google searches where I discovered other dogs were also getting sick I threw that food away and switched them to Diamond Naturals. They love it and it’s got a 4-star rating at dogfoodadvisor.com. I can’t afford the 5-star foods but this seems a good alternative.

I do not work for any company, organization, etc. I am unemployed. I do not currently own a dog, even though I have previously been blessed with many in my life.
You must either be one of the fake profiles that posts on the FB page, or you are being fed a lot of bunk by those that do. Why do people think that just because they complain about something, it is going to disappear? Whether the food is crap or not, there is no proof it has caused harm. With no identified culprit, there would be no withdrawal or recall.There will always be better food and worse food, even within the same brand. Someone will find something wrong with any diet. Beneful has said they have tested. FDA says they have tested…no one believes them, yet independent testing is either not being done or, when it is done by consumers, and the results are negative, they are not made public.
Beneful does not delete simply negative comments. If you have been to the page, there are plenty of even libelous comments. Neither are they “…banning consumers that post complaints or photos of their beloved pets”. They ban people who continually post against their guidelines. They have chosen non-Beneful dogs as their “featured” dogs. There are also plenty of people there right now….who pose questions…get an answer…then laugh and mock it. They badger the company for answers that are proprietary, then claim they are hiding something, because they won’t answer. They also badger ANYONE who shows ANY favor to the brand.
The responses seem “canned”, because they are asked the same things over and over again, and they are Facebook monitors, for Heaven’s sake…I doubt they are qualified to answer every question! “For every one of hundreds of similar consumer comments, Beneful’s response has been the same.”…is simply not true. They answer what they can, and always include the poster’s name, for one thing.
Why would the consumer not call the company? That has always been standard operating procedure. Why are the people NOT submitting reports to their State Depts. of Agriculture, USDA/APHIS, FTC, even the FDA? The majority of complaints are at the Consumer Affairs internet gripe site, that profits from negative reviews, and is a window shop for class-action attorneys.
The jerky treats are continually brought up, also. The treats were pulled immediately, once an adulteration was found, which backs up my theory that nothing will happen with the food, without a culprit.

I am not even going to get into your “group”, none of whom was banned for “asking questions”. “Over 1,000 members”…and no one can offer proof? 90% of the dogs claimed to be victims were obviously near the end of their lifespan.

Do you really believe a company as large as Purina/Nestlé is either not going to have the resources and desire to test everything possible….OR that they would let the brand die, simply for lack of action? Do not get me wrong! Even ONE death, proven to be cause by something fed to a pet is TOO MANY, there just doesn’t seem to be proof here, nor with all of the other foods that have identical complaints, and identical “answers” on their FB pages. I would be one of the first in line, to insist in eliminating the product, if that documented evidence ever shows up.

Articles like these are what is fueling the fire…but that is the business YOU are in, right? As well as the others like Consumer Affairs and Dog Food Advisor…the more controversial the better for business.

Wow…what a thoughtful, mature response. Everything I posted then still rings true. If you want to dispute my comments, dispute the facts. Why resort to petty personal attacks? That is what trolls do, when they have nothing else to give.

If you are SO poverty stricken that you can only afford to pay $1.30 for your dry dog food then consider two alternatives. First, if you have a Costco nearby, then buy their own brand Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Grain Free Turkey Meal and Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food at $36 for 30 lbs. If you have a Tractor Supply nearby get them 4Health Grain Free Dog Food. 30lbs for $36.99. Both are free of the real nasties: CORN, BY-PRODUCTS, WHEAT, SOY, MEAT AND BONEMEAL, ANIMAL FAT, ANIMAL DIGEST, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, BHT/BHA, SUGAR, ARTIFICIAL COLORS The cat food although not 100% grain free, contains none of the bad stuff!

OK I may regret this but have the people who are so angry about this taken their dog to the vet at least once a year? I as an adult have had dogs for 13 years and I have to say I knew Beneful was not a good choice for my dogs from when it came out. Again though I have given them it on occasion when they needed junk food. You can’t blame the food. Even the foods most people would consider top of the line have problems and recalls. Remember to be educated.

Too sad watching all these dogs do downhill after eating Purina round up ready Monsanto GMO corn which is the number 1 ingredient in Beneful.
I lost my own dog which showed all the same symptoms as people relate time and time again on forum after forum. Vomiting and mention by the vets of anti freeze…for some reason Purina will not accept responsibility but then again Monsanto never admitted liability for their other product, agent orange, which caused so many birth defects across the world.

Purina supply food for laboratory animals…you would think they would have a fair idea by now what is causing dogs to die!

Beneful has also been quietly paying off people whose dogs have died — as long as they sign a binding nondisclosure agreement, a no-sue clause, etc. Standard stuff.

bottom line, this dog food is made of garbage. It made my little Fred very sick. And we have never gotten any answers from Beneful, but that’s all right for now: We don’t plan to stop until every Beneful Angel has been honored and there’s a recall on this horrible dog food. Purina has no interest in standing behind its products, and there’s a reason for that, too.

Marca,
Anyone should know that if you accept money as compensation from a company….you can’t turn around and sue them for more…as for the “nondisclosure”…that is if the consumer becomes privy to protected information, they can’t repeat it…like trade secrets or formulas. For instance….if a consumer said there was too much of something in the food, and the company disclosed the actual amount…that would be confidential.
It is possible it would involve the actual settlement amount.
Have you seen any of the actual papers??

My sweet Chihuahua,Chiquita, was fed Beneful, dummy me thinking it was good stuff. She died of kidney disease. I know now it was from this horrible dog food. NOW I am so neurotic about what I give my dogs, they only get good dehydrated raw foods like Stella and Chewy, or Grandma Lucy or Ziwipeak. All are very expensive but I would not want to lose anyone of my 5 dogs or one foster ever again to kidney disease!

Our dog Chloe was fed this food by her previous owner when I got her.
She was infections from nose to nubby inside and out.
I quickly changed her food and countless visits too our vet, countless sleepless nights.
She had to had to be spayed or she would died!
Now she is happy on a pretty much grain free foods and probotics and supplements almost 2 years later.
She is damaged but now I know what to stay away from…
So thankful she is here, sorry too all those who have lost there beloved furbabies to the greed of these companies.

So, why no outrage over Blue Buffalo and all of their comments on Consumer Affairs? Why not torches and pitchforks to get their product pulled off the market. The simple truth that none of you want to admit is that the exact same symptoms that people are attributing to Beneful are being reported on with dog foods across the board. Where is your Facebook group “Nutro is killings dogs” or “Boycott Science Diet”.

One product/company at a time.. starting with the lowest of the low.. check out “Ol’ Roy Killed My Dog”.. I expect Hills, including all that expensive junk prescription diet stuff.. will be next up, along with Pedigree..

BLUE BUFFALO vs BENEFUL.. YOU CHOOSE!

INGREDIENTS of BLUE BUFFALO WILDERNESS GRAIN FREE SALMON

DEBONED SALMON, 3 Star – Deboned salmon is 80% water making it more suitable for canned foods rather than dry food. It is a good source of protein and fatty acids but can add mercury to the diet

PROPYLENE GLYCOL, 1 Star – contains 1% by raw ingredient weight. Adds sweetness to food, used in antifreeze! Has one third of the toxicity as regular antifreeze, Ethylene Glycol. Some preservative action, possible carcinogen. Chinese manufactured product can be contaminated with Diethylene Glycol, rather than food grade which has caused organ failure and death in humans and animals. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_145.html

MEAT AND BONE MEAL, 1 Star – Meat and Bonemeal is (species) non-descriptive. This can indicate 4-D Animals.. Dead, Dying, Disease, Dying and Disabled. It can legally include tumorous or diseased tissues plus bone meal can not be digested and assimilated for calcium! It is banned for use in animal feedstuffs in most European countries due to its link with Spongiform Encephalopathies (think BSE or “MadCow Disease”). It IS banned in the US as a ruminant feeed (your cows etc) Meat and bone meal is now utilized in Europe as a fossil-fuel replacement, and is commonly used as a fuel in cement kilns, landfilling and in incinerators. It was previously used as a fertiliser until the BSE outbreak when it was banned. In the US it is principally used as a low-cost protein source in dog food and cat food. There is NO testing on Meat and Bonemeal.. it is not required. The euthanising drug Pentobarbitol has been found in Meat and Bonemeal. It will also contain insecticides used as parasite control on animals as well as the drugs used to treat sickness that are present in a dead animal. From the EPA themselves: “Meat rendering plants process animal by-product materials for the production of tallow, grease, and high-protein meat and bone meal. Plants that operate in conjunction with animal slaughterhouses or poultry processing plants are called integrated rendering plants. Plants that collect their raw materials from a variety of offsite sources are called independent rendering plants. Independent plants obtain animal by-product materials, including rancid cooking grease, blood, feathers, offal, and entire animal carcasses, from the following sources: butcher shops, supermarkets, restaurants, zoos, fast-food chains, poultry processors, slaughterhouses, farms, ranches, feedlots, and animal shelters.”

WATER, 1 Star- Used as a non-nutritive filler in food, often in combination with Propylene Glycol, Glycerin or Sorbitol, to give dry food a moist texture.

ANIMAL DIGEST, 1 Star – Used as flavor enhancer. Animal digest is a cooked-down broth used for flavour, rendered by chemical and/or enzymatic processes. It is only found in the very lowest quality pet food. Its presence indicates a very poor quality product. Run away from ALL pet foods containing this ingredient! Animal Digest is made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The origin of the animals is definitely suspect, as it never named. If the manufacturers wanted you to know what the source was, they’d name it. So what DOES it consist of? I hope you’ve got a stromg stomach for thiss.. here we go! Ingredients that end up in the rendering vats include ground up carcasses often come from “4-D animals” (Dead, Diseased, Disabled, or Dying prior to slaughter), all internal parts void of healthy meat. ANY kind of animal can be used including zoo animals, cats, dogs, goats, pigs, skunks, horses, rats, snakes, raccoons, possums, deer, foxes, miscellaneous road kill, animals euthanized at shelters and veterinarian clinics, restaurant and supermarket refuse.. including the plastic trays and packaging.. and so on. LINK TO FULL DETAILS: https://www.facebook.com/groups/533765719991738/doc/546710238697286/

DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, 1 Star – Can become toxic to body — texturizer in can food

YELLOW 5, 1 Star – yellow 5 “Tartrazine” is derived from coal tar and is the number one allergy-causing dye. Allergies to yellow 5 can range from mild indigestion to asthma to severe depression. It is estimated that 360,000 Americans have bad reactions to ingesting yellow 5. yellow 5 is a common dye and is in candy, cereal, and many other processed foods. It has been banned in several European countries. A variety of immunologic responses have been attributed to tartrazine ingestion by humans, including anxiety, migraine, clinical depression, blurred vision, itching, general weakness, heatwaves, feeling of suffocation, purple skin patches, and sleep disturbance

Exactly, Blake.
Why aren’t the vets more pro active in finding definite diagnoses? Why are there no groups researching the gene poll saturation created by inbreeding and linebreeding, resulting in increases of autoimmune diseases? What about the push to adopt from shelters…not knowing where that dog came from??
I just read about a reputable breeder that did not know that breeding a Mother to a Son was inbreeding!

I do NOT work for Beneful, Purina, Nestlé, or anyone. You can lie with a big fake name, coward! That’s right, my handiwork at providing TRUE, correct information against the disinformation that is driving poor grieving, frustrated pet owners. I say shame on the vets, also that are letting owners believe “it must be the food”.
People are not going to Blue Buffalo, or any of the others, because it is called herd/mob mentality. Beneful is the topic du jour.

Our dog eats a vegan dog food. He is a hound found left for dead in the woods by hunters. He had every kind of worm known to man or beast including heartworms. He loves his food. When we first had him his coat was like a brillo pad. Now it’s soft as a puppy’s Our vet said hounds have a bad time with allergies and since most hunters only use their dogs as “tools” they don’t eat very well. Sad that dogs who need the most get the least.

I am not surprised at anything shoddy that comes from Nestles. Those are the people who gave free formula to new mothers in Africa (who should have been breat feeding) and then when the mothers milk had dried up, offered to sell it to them at prices they could not afford. The formula was then diluted by the mothers with contaminated water, killing many babies. Scumbags. The owner of Nestles has also said “Access to water is not a human right and should be owned and bargained for by corporations.” These people are pinworms….lower than pinworms. Pinworms live on feces, Nestles sells it.

its not just the dog food that they make, i started feeding my cats purina cat food and they started throwing up right after they ate it, it hit my female the hardest,she still is not the same as she was before she started eating it

When Beneful first came out I sent for a sample to see if my dog would like it. He did, very much, so I bought it. a FEW WEEKS LATER HE STARTED DRINKING WAY MORE WATER THAN USUAL AND URINATING MORE TOO. I took him to the vet and after testing he put him on insulin. Then in a couple of months he started getting cataracts. Eventually he was blind. `After a year or so and many trips to the vet he died. He was a Miniature Schnauzer. Later on the internet I read many peoples description of the problems their dogs had with Beneful. Many had diabetes and blindness from cataracts. I will never buy Purina products again.

When Beneful first came out I sent for a sample to see if my dog would like it. He did, very much, so I bought it. a FEW WEEKS LATER HE STARTED DRINKING WAY MORE WATER THAN USUAL AND URINATING MORE TOO. I took him to the vet and after testing he put him on insulin. Then in a couple of months he started getting cataracts. Eventually he was blind. `

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